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E. P. WHITNEY. Fastner for Carriage Aprons and Curtains.

No. 74,649. Patented Feb. 18, 1868.

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EDWARD P. WHITNEY, 0F STAMFORD, GQNNEGTIGUT.

Letters Patent No. 74,649, dated l 'ebruary 18, 1868.

IMPROVED CARRIAGE-CURTAIN FASTENER. a

To ALL WHOM ITMAY cononnnt 7 Be it known that I, EDWARD P. WHITNEY, ofStamford, in the county of Fail-field, and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new and improved Fastener for Carriage-Aprons and Curtains;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying draw.

ings, forming part of this specification.

- My invention consists in a device of novel construction, designed forholding the flap or flaps which confine the apron against the dash-boardof a carriage, as well as'for holding the apron when spread out,.andalso for holding up the curtains of a vehicle. In the accompanyingdrawings Figure 1 is a plan or top view of my invention.

Figure 2 iso. side elevation of one part thereof-the part I call thetongue.

, The. device ismade in two parts, 'A designating the partwhichIeall thetongue, and B a double-eyed catch. Both parts carry loops, (1 a, attheir rear ends, and are secured to their respective straps by strips ofmetal, C, which pass through the said loop, and are riveted on each sideof the said straps, as shown clearly in the drawings. The eyes a c inthe catch A are somewhat of a triangular shape, the apex of the'trianglebeing toward the forward end of the catch. The tongue B has anoval-shaped head, d, of a size to let it pass through either of the eyesa ore, when placed edgewisc and pushed u vertically. To thishead cZ,ashank is connected, which has an ofi'set, e, formed where itisconnected to the head d. This raises thesaid, head above the planeof theface of the strap, and, when the said head is inserted in either eye 0c, the catch and the rest of the tongue are on the same line' with eachother-. I

I am aware that clasps, &c., having one part which passes throughan eyein another part, and drops in some notch or place smaller than otherparts, are in common use; I do not, therefore. claim my fastening independently of its construction.

i The catch heretofore used for fastening carriage-aprons consists of a.hook on one strap, and an eye on the other. To fasten them together theeye is slipped over the hook. A great deal. of embarrassment occurs withsuch device; for instance, if the straps are snfiiciently long to allowthe hooking operation to be easily performed, the eyes are continuallydropping 0d the hooks and the apron let down; onthe other hand, if thestraps are made short or get shrunk in use, which latter often occurs,the operation is performed with much diificulty. By my device there, isno liability of the tongue being accidentally disengaged from the eye. Iprovide two eyes, c c, in the catch, so that, when either or both of thestraps shrink, the second eye, 0, will come into use. It will be noticedthat the head (1 of the tongue is held vertically, when it is to heplaced in the eye, and 'then pushed through, when it immediately assumesa horizontal position and overlaps thc eye: so much that there is almostno possibility of its getting accidentally detached therefrom.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A fastener for the aprons and curtains of carriages, composed of theparts A and B, the former provided with the eyes 0 a, and the latterwith the head 11 and ofl'set c, and both provided with loops a, andotherwise constructed and operated, substantially as herein specified. V

EDWARD P. WHITNEY.

Witnessesi T. B. Bnscnnn, M. M. Lrvnvesror.

